PUMA’s African makeover

“To come back to this notion of the type of joy that is lacking in our vision of Africa and our vision of what’s possible in the black America and black African experience.”

These were the permeating words of Kehinde Wiley.

Wiley is the African-American artist behind the collection of four painting portraits sponsored by PUMA of the four African footballers Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana and Emmanuel Eboué of Ivory Coast.

This PUMA-Wiley show opened in Berlin, Germany, and was showcased at exhibitions in France, UK, China, US and Italy. It will end up in South Africa where it will stay for the duration of the World Cup.

A new image of Africa

Wiley’s art style is a break from the art norm and is fully charged with African imagery.

Wiley used “brilliantly-colored patterns, inspired by traditional African prints,” as the backdrop for his portraits. He painted his subjects dressed in PUMA’s “Unity” uniform and in poses inspired by West African sculpture.

When asked why Wiley was brought onto the project Mark Coetzee, Director of PUMAVison, explained that “Wiley [in his art] represents the African American image in an incredibly uplifting monumentally positive way,” which is exactly the image of Africa that PUMA wanted to project.

“Africa for us at PUMA is a dynamic innovative continent where creative solutions are found,” said Mark Coetzee, Director of PUMAVision.

Over a decade in Africa

“We consider this World Cup to be even more of a home tournament then 2006” in Germany, said Filip Trulsson, PUMA’s team sport business manager..  

An interesting statement to come from a German owned company, but Trulsson argues that African football and PUMA share a lot in common.

“African national teams are sort of everyone’s second favorite team, they’re the underdogs. That is sort of nice for PUMA, as we are also sort of the underdogs,” said Trulsson.

PUMA started working in Africa right after the 1998 France World Cup, when it signed its first official football partnerships in Cameroon and Morocco. 

Over the next decade PUMA signed 12 African football teams and now has the largest football sponsorship presence on the continent.

“There is no continent or region in the world that has influenced PUMA more than Africa,” explained Trulsson.

“But we really look for other layers to be able to engage with Africa beyond just a representation of it,” said Coetzee.

A new vision

Now PUMA is giving back to the continent and has created the program PUMAVision. This corporate social responsibility project, launched at the end of 2008 works around themes like art, environment and peace.

The Wiley show was also a means to announce PUMA’s “Play for Life” campaign. PUMA is using the Wiley show and the World Cup as platforms to drive this campaign.

In partnership with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), PUMA launched this campaign last January.

Play for Life hopes to create awareness around issues facing biodiversity in Africa and to raise funds which will be donated to different UN sanctioned organizations working to save biodiversity on the continent.

At the end of May PUMA is throwing a huge send off concert and event for its three World Cup sponsored teams – Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana – in Paris.   The event will also act as a fundraiser for its biodiversity campaign and will feature different African artists. 

PUMA’s intentions are good, but the biodiversity campaign and PUMAVision are both new and have little to show in terms of concrete on the ground impact.